CHICAGO — It was exactly the kind of play the Chicago Blackhawks have been envisioning for themselves, now and in the future, a nifty mix of speed, savvy and skill that leads to Grade-A scoring chances.
Sam Rinzel, the big puck-moving No. 1 defenseman of the present and future, carried the puck from behind his own goal all the way into the offensive zone with speed and purpose early in the first period Monday night against the Utah Mammoth — a spin move in his own end, a burst through the neutral zone, a slick pull-up after crossing the blue line. There, he found a streaking Frank Nazar, the blindingly quick No. 2 center of the present and future, who made a quick move around a defender before firing a tape-to-tape no-look pass to André Burakovsky, all alone at the back door with a gaping net in front of him.
Burakovsky softly nudged the puck into the far post.
“Jesus Christ,” Burakovsky said after the game. “I was gonna slap my own head when I missed that first one from Frankie.”
That’s just how it’s gone for Burakovsky the past couple of months. After a strong first half of the season during which he showed excellent chemistry with Connor Bedard, Burakovsky managed zero goals and one assist in his previous 19-plus games. Just jaw-dropping numbers. The post shot Monday was during a power play, but Burakovsky has remained a mainstay on the top line throughout his seemingly endless drought.
But how much longer could Jeff Blashill wait to pull the trigger on a change? How much longer could he wait until he tried Nick Lardis, a hardworking sharpshooter who can play off Bedard’s skill? How much longer until he went back to Tyler Bertuzzi, a net-crashing havoc machine off whom Bedard can bank pucks into the net? How much longer until he gave another opportunity to Teuvo Teräväinen, a pass-first playmaker who can find Bedard in space? How much longer could he wait until he tried speedy Ilya Mikheyev or newcomer Andrew Mangiapane or, heck, anyone else?
Turns out, another period and a half was all he needed.
Late in the second period, down a goal, Burakovsky corralled a Bedard rebound off the end boards, scooping the puck and tucking it behind Utah goalie Vitek Vaněček for a quick lacrosse-style goal from the side of the net. As Rinzel bear-hugged him from the side, Burakovsky spread his arms wide, looked to the heavens and smiled broadly, the relief evident in his face and his body language as he did his post-goal fly-by at the bench. The Blackhawks went on to win 3-2 on Nazar’s overtime winner.
“It’s been hard,” Burakovsky said. “It’s been hard to find the back of the net.”
Blashill had been steadfast in his belief in Burakovsky and believed it was only a matter of time before the dam burst. He pointed to the analytics, which showed the Blackhawks were out-chancing opponents with Burakovsky on the ice. And he pointed to Burakovsky’s demeanor, as he never let his obvious and understandable frustration spill over onto the ice.
His faith was rewarded against Utah.
“Guys have to produce, I get it, but there’s a lot more that goes into it,” Blashill said. “If he wasn’t working as hard as he’s worked, if he wasn’t caring as much as he’s cared, maybe we don’t keep him up there. But I just felt like he was working so hard, he was competing hard, he cares a ton, and eventually it felt like it was going to happen for him, and glad that it did. He’s a good person, and again, he’s a big part of our group.”
Nazar knows the feeling. After closing the season strong and leading Team USA to gold at the World Championships, Nazar started the 2025-26 season at a torrid pace. But the scoring dried up, and the drought seemed like it would never break.
An assist at the Winnipeg Jets on March 3 helped. A goal and an assist in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks was cathartic but ultimately empty. Two assists in an overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday gave him more confidence. And then Monday night, after nearly two minutes of the Blackhawks chasing the Mammoth around their own zone in overtime, Nazar was sprung for a breakaway, all alone for the game winner.
He lost the puck. Before he even got to the net.
“I don’t think I’m allowed to say that,” he said when asked what went through his head.
But Nazar had spent the whole game bucking up Burakovsky after his empty net doink in the first period, telling him that chances always come in pairs, and that he’ll redeem himself. In overtime, he took his own advice. About 45 seconds after he fumbled the breakaway, Nazar ripped a power-play goal from the slot to give the Blackhawks the victory.
Like Burakovsky, Nazar has believed the goals would come, that his play was solid despite the lack of production. Like Burakovsky, his faith is getting rewarded.
“It’s all been there,” Nazar said. “Just a matter of that puck crossing the line. Keeping my head high and staying humble and continuing to work and get better each day.”
The playoffs are almost certainly out of reach for these Blackhawks, but Blashill has hammered home how important these last 20 or so games are as the young players take control of their team after the trades of the entire leadership group — captain Nick Foligno and alternates Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy.
Nazar’s getting rewarded matters. Burakovsky’s regaining his confidence matters. Winning matters, even if the standings say otherwise.
“These are extremely meaningful games for this hockey team,” Blashill said. “We don’t want to be in this spot a year from now where we’re at the trade deadline and we’re however many points out. We want to be in a better spot. To do that, we’re going to have to grow internally, and a majority of the guys in that room are going to be here. We have to grow as individuals, we have to grow as a team, and we look forward to the challenge on a nightly basis.”
Center Frank Nazar scored the Blackhawks’ overtime game-winning goal. (Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)
Drew Commesso making starts, and friends
Drew Commesso has made three starts this season, all of them in emergency fashion because of illnesses. He’s 2-1 in those starts after a solid 22-save effort against Utah. He was tested early — aggressively poke-checking Kevin Stenlund before he could get a shot off. Then, after some dominant play by the Blackhawks, he was tested late — making a terrific frantic kick save of a Barrett Hayton shot that was slowed and redirected by Burakovsky’s stick.
Arvid Soderblöm has been up and down this season as Spencer Knight’s backup, and every start Commesso gets is a chance to position himself to compete for the No. 2 job in the fall. But Commesso said he doesn’t put that kind of pressure on himself. In fact, given how many of his old IceHogs teammates are now on the big club, he’s every bit as comfortable in Chicago as he is in Rockford.
“All my best friends are here,” he said. “Whenever I’m here, I’m just so happy away from the rink to be around with these guys. … We’re so close off the ice, and coming back, it feels like family. I love all these guys. It’s just so much fun being here with them.”
Andrew Mangiapane scores first goal as Blackhawk
Andrew Mangiapane, acquired in the Dickinson deal as mostly a cap dump by the Edmonton Oilers, scored his first goal as a Blackhawk in the first period, when he crashed the net and had a Ryan Donato centering pass bank in off him. It’s the kind of north-south play the Blackhawks could use a little more of, especially with Foligno in Minnesota.
“What Andrew’s done is he’s brought us into the fight a little bit,” Blashill said. “He’s a very competitive guy. You get him and (Mikheyev) on a line with (Donato), I thought that line was excellent. They went against (Clayton) Keller almost all night, and that’s an excellent line with Keller, (Nick) Schmaltz and (Dylan) Guenther. I thought they did a really good job there. He competes hard, he plays north, he plays straight-ahead hockey, which sometimes we can get a little too east-west with some of our young skill. He plays a very direct north game, and that helps the team a lot. He’s been a good addition.”
Oliver Moore to miss time with injury
Center Oliver Moore is going to miss “significant time” with an injury suffered Sunday night in Dallas. He got tangled up with Colin Blackwell and immediately left the game. Blashill said he’ll be re-evaluated “after a few weeks.”
Blackhawks remember Troy Murray
The Blackhawks honored longtime player and radio analyst Troy Murray before and throughout the game. Murray, 63, died Saturday after dealing with cancer for several years.
“He’s definitely up there watching and guiding us, and he made a big impact on a lot of our lives and our organization,” Nazar said. “So to be able to get that one on a day like today is (special).”